The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 19, 2002
Filed:
Aug. 09, 2000
Brien J. Housand, Orlando, FL (US);
Gene D. Tener, Orlando, FL (US);
Susan J. Jesse, Orlando, FL (US);
William A. Pearson, Geneva, FL (US);
G. Edward Newberg, Winter Springs, FL (US);
John F. Weaver, late of Orlando, FL (US);
Timothy A. Hill, Windermere, FL (US);
Helmuth Bauer, Orlando, FL (US);
Bhikhubbai L. Patel, Orlando, FL (US);
Ward D. Robertson, Orlando, FL (US);
John J. Donahue, Casselberry, FL (US);
Jeffrey L. Cole, Orlando, FL (US);
Harvey J. Montgomery, Winter Springs, FL (US);
Eric F. Schildwachter, Orlando, FL (US);
John R. Booth, Orlando, FL (US);
Lockheed Martin Corporation, Bethesda, MD (US);
Abstract
In a FLIR/laser based targeting and imaging system, the ability to recognize, detect, locate, and/or track targets in an area of interest is significantly improved by reducing the fixed and dynamic alignment errors between the IR LOS and the laser LOS. Fixed alignment errors are reduced with an improved internal boresight module and corresponding boresight method. Dynamic alignment errors are reduced with an opto-electric subsystem that employs a single pitch bearing and a common pitch/yaw afocal for both the laser energy and the IR energy. A segmented window in the system housing includes a circular EMI grid pattern which significantly reduces the amount of off-axis EMI entering the optical pathways, and improved signal processing techniques are employed to enhance the quality of the IR image after the image has been digitized.